


Rice flour and succulents

by Niibeth



Series: Baker/Florist AU [1]
Category: Dredd (2012), Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Allergies, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-06 01:08:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11025390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niibeth/pseuds/Niibeth
Summary: Every morning Techie opens the flower shop and sneaks a glance at the muscular man working in the adjacent bakery. He has elaborated a complex strategy of his first meeting with the stranger, but the accidental discovery ruins his plan.





	Rice flour and succulents

**Author's Note:**

> This work is a fill for the ask from [dressesandcarresses](http://niibeth.tumblr.com/post/159527487393/bakerflorist-au-makes-grabby-hands-i-have-a) and is based on the idea from the post of [techsfromlastnight](https://techsfromlastnight.tumblr.com/post/159494945248/jathis-theweddingofthefoxes-i-was-driving). Illustration is mine.
> 
> English is my second language, so feel free to point at the grammar errors.
> 
> Welcome to my tumblr account - [Niibeth](niibeth.tumblr.com)

There were two good things about his job in the flower-shop, but on St. Valentine’s day Techie has lost them both.

First. Solitude. Madelene hired two temporary workers to prepare for the seasonal influx. Now the store room was crowded. Not only he had to leave his headphones in the bag, but also to listen to Romantic Radio that blasted all day long. And he thought that he has never heard so much bad lyrics in one day.

Second. The baker. Techie made a habit of staring at the guy from the nearby bakery in the morning, when he arranged the first batches on the shelves. The thoughts of those big hands kneading dough, or what the bakers are doing anyway, were Techie’s good companions in hard times. Today everybody turned to work too early and gave him no chance to pause before the doors.

He was happy to sneak into the alley for lunch. Mostly to breath – any air seemed fresher after the crowded room. Once he has seen a baker guy wrestling with the trash can here, and it was a scene one can hardly forget.

Speaking of the angel. The door of the bakery crashed open and his neighbor stormed out, panting and red-faced like a marathon runner.

\- Hard day? – Techie asked.  
\- Oh, yeah. Everybody wants everything pink and heart-shaped. By the way… Want some?

He opened a cardboard box he had with him and offered Techie a muffin. Brightly pink and covered with something heart shaped, naturally.

\- Um, sorry, I can’t… gluten.

Techie waited for familiar questioning, but the guy just shrugged and said: “Got it. I can’t stand pollen”, - and bit at the muffin.

Techie’s old and elaborate plan crashed before his eyes. For months already he was preparing for a serious talk with his boss. He made sketches and counted costs and benefits. He would tell her: Let’s add window decoration to our services. And she would tell: We have no resources. He would counter: Look, how much we are throwing away. Everything on my sketch is made of leftovers. And she would tell: But where would we get first clients? And he would say: Let’s offer the bakery a free trial? Then we would make pictures and post them on our web-site. And she would say: Ok, Techie, but do it in your free time. And then he would have a legitimate reason to go to the bakery and get acquainted with the bakery-guy… who has a pollen allergy.

\- Have a good day!

He was so deep in his thoughts, that he didn’t notice when the baker finished his muffin and turned to leave the alley.

…

Several days passed and once again Techie was the last to clean and close the shop. It was dark already and rain covered the streets with a sheen of water. “This time I’m certainly catching a cold”, - he thought.

\- Hey! Hey, you!

Loud voices on the dark streets were bad news for someone who cannot properly run, and still Techie tried to move faster.

\- Hey, flower guy!

Techie turned. It was the baker.

\- Sorry, I don’t know your name. I’m Matt.  
\- I’m Techie.  
\- That’s for you.

Matt offered him a small box.

\- But I don’t…  
\- Try them. It is only rice flour, I made them for you. Rice flour, green tea stuffing. Please, try them, - everything Matt said seemed urgent.

Techie unwrapped one of the cakes.

\- Uh. Good. I mean, they are great.

Matt’s face broke into a wide smile.

\- Three times I told my boss we should start a gluten-free line. And he says: We are an established company, Matthew, nobody would go to the bakery to buy your millennial anti-foods!  
\- I’d certainly go.  
\- I will try again. And if he says “no” this time, I… I’d invite you home and make you a dinner, what do you think?

Techie couldn’t stop his reply from breaking free: “Then I hope he says “no”. The blush immediately creeped over his face.

\- Oh. I think I would dip him in the trash can first, so… to make sure he disagrees.

Techie finally raised his eyes.

Thanks god, Matt was blushing terribly too.


End file.
